(Rockford) -- A lot of people snore.  Snoring is caused by vibrations made by soft tissue in the mouth and vibrations in the throat.  This happens when you're asleep, and the tongue, soft palette and lower jaws relax and narrow your airway.

But some suffer from a bigger problem when sleeping.  On the other end of the scale is "obstructive sleep apnea," which causes sufferers to stop breathing periodically during sleep. 

The soft tissue collapses against the back of the throat, cutting off the airway for ten seconds or even more.  The lack of oxygen forces the sufferer to partially awaken in order to open the airway, often with a loud gasp.  The cycle then repeats many times throughout the night, sometimes up to 40 times per hour.

People who suffer from sleep apnea usually have symptoms in common: loud snoring, gasping, jerking during sleep, headache, sore throat, confusion upon waking, or sleepiness during the day.

They may also have difficulty concentrating, or suffer from depression.  If not taken care of, sleep apnea can cause cardiovascular problems including high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and congestive heart failure.

While there are simple steps you can take to stop snoring, such as losing weight, avoiding alcohol, sleeping on your side and using a humidifier.

To stop sleep apnea, a special appliance is required.  This is done by taking impressions of the wearer's teeth.  Some appliances are fashioned so they have an upper and lower portion that the patient wears when they're connected together.  This is worn when going to bed so the patient can adjust to this periodically until the patient stops snoring.  It keeps the lower jaw forward so more airway is available.